


A Pyrotechnic Misadventure

by Denise



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-10
Updated: 2012-06-10
Packaged: 2017-11-07 10:17:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/429925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denise/pseuds/Denise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Accompanying SG1 on a mission, Janet gets more than she bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Pyrotechnic Misadventure

A Pyrotechnic Misadventure

By

Denise

 

 

 

 

"So, Doc. What did you do to get on Hammond's bad side?" Jack O'Neill asked, turning back to flash Janet Fraiser, MD, a rakish grin.

 

"What makes you think I did anything wrong, Colonel?" she shot back, exchanging amused glances with Major Samantha Carter, who was walking at her side.

 

"We're going to spend three days exploring this lovely planet, you just can't convince me that it's the highpoint of your week."

 

"Maybe this mission is old hat to you, sir. Some of us find it interesting to explore alien planets," she quipped back. Actually Janet's presence on the team had been Jack's idea, in a round about way.

 

Given their most recent false evacuation to the Alpha Site, the colonel had gone to General Hammond and suggested that it might be a good idea if more of the base's personnel had gate experience. Given the worst case scenario of all active SG teams either being forced to defend the base or maybe being caught off world during an attack, more of the 'Genesis List' people really needed to be more knowledgeable about the universe they could end up living in. And surprisingly enough, even Doctor Mackenzie had chimed in with his blessing, citing that familiarity with the gate system could alleviate some of the anxiety involved in being summarily relocated on an alien planet.

 

So there had begun a program of base personnel tagging along on some of the missions deemed to be lower risk excursions. And SG-1's mission to P9Z381 just happened to coincide with Cassandra's class trip to Denver, so Janet was chosen to tag along.

 

"You may change your definition of interesting after Daniel gets through with you."

 

"How's that, Colonel?"

 

"Daniel in full lecture mode has been classified as a deadly weapon on six planets."

 

"Do not forget the three moons, O'Neill," Teal'c said, his voice deadpan, but his eyes amused.

 

"Aah, yes, Thank you Teal'c, and three moons." Jack looked to Daniel, who was remaining eerily silent. "Daniel?"

 

"Payback's a bitch," he quipped, grinning mischievously. He then turned his back on the colonel and picked up his pace.

 

Janet watched the three men walk away and turned to Sam. "Are they usually like this?"

 

"Pretty much," the major said. "Although I think they are having fun with someone else along. I swear there are days when I feel more like a babysitter."

 

"Welcome to the club," Janet said with a smile. She knew she was exaggerating a bit, that Sam's relationship with her team was one of those truly unique ones where they saw each other not as male or female but true equals. Each member had his or her own strengths and weaknesses and they knew how to best compliment each other. More than once she'd heard Hammond holding the team up as a shining example of true teamwork.

 

Which really had nothing to do with Janet's desire to tag along with SG-1, she could have chosen another team. The lean figure chatting with Daniel was her main reason. Colonel Jack O'Neill was one of the few people in the SGC who wouldn't treat her like 'Doctor Fraiser' but as 'Major Fraiser'. And that was exactly what she wanted.

 

 She took her responsibilities within the SGC very seriously, and after being evacuated twice to the Alpha Site, she knew that one thing confused refugees needed most of all was a figure that they could turn to. The fact that she was friends with all four members of the team was an added, but welcome bonus.

 

Grinning at Sam, Janet picked up her pace to catch up with Daniel. "So," she said, causing him to slow a tiny bit and separate from Jack and Teal'c. "What's in these caves that's so important?"

 

He quirked her eyebrows, seemingly surprised by her interest, then smiled. "SG-8 found them a few months ago when they sought shelter in the cave during a storm. Major Matthews said the artwork on the walls reminded him of something he'd seen in Hawaii a few years ago. If he's right, then it's the first evidence of a Polynesian influence we've run across."

 

Janet and Daniel kept chatting as they made their way across a large grassy clearing; the air was warm and slightly humid, although not uncomfortably so. This planet had a yellow sun just like Earth's and Janet thought much of the vegetation looked similar to Earth's.

 

The caves SG-8 had found were about ten miles from the gate, midway up a large hill. The original team had theorized that the planet had a very active seismic past, a supposition that was somewhat confirmed by the presence of rich black dirt and the uniform ebony color of the exposed rocks. Back home in Colorado, the native rocks were a unique reddish-orange granite often threaded with various minerals. Here the rocks were shades of black, which contrasted beautifully with the vibrant green vegetation and the colorful flowers. They could hear the hum and buzz of insects and every so often the melodious cries of birds.

In the week SG-8 had spent on the planet, they reported never seeing an animal larger than a house cat, so Janet felt relatively safe here.

 

Their initial plans were to use the caves as a base camp, thus eliminating the need to bring tents. Daniel would have roughly two days to study the writings and carvings in the caves, and Sam would have the same amount of time to gather her samples.

 

It took the quintet about five hours to reach the hillside that the caves were located in. Teal'c set off to climb up the hill a bit and locate the specific cave marked by SG-8, while the rest of the humans sat down to take a well deserved break. Janet pulled out her canteen and took a deep drink, grimacing a bit at the taste of the tepid water.

 

"You ok, doc?" Jack asked, sliding his pack off his shoulders.

 

"Fine, colonel. It's actually sort of nice to be off world when it's NOT a matter of life and death," she said.

 

Jack grinned and leaned back, crossing his outstretched legs in front of him. "I dunno. There's that adrenaline pumping, gut wrenching fear that keeps you feeling young."

 

"Or really, really old when it's over," Daniel said.

 

"So, what's the plan, sir?" Janet asked.

 

Jack jerked his head towards the cliff face they were sitting in front of. "Assuming Teal'c finds the right cave, we might just camp inside it, if it's big enough. Save dealing with the tents."

 

"It's more defensible too," Sam spoke up. "If we camp inside the cave then we'll be practically invisible in case someone comes visiting."

 

"Do you think someone will?" Janet asked, concerned. "I thought the planet was deserted."

 

"It is," Sam confirmed. "At least as far as we can determine."

 

"But a little paranoia can go a long way," Jack said. "Discretion is usually a good thing." He got to his feet, brushing off the seat of his pants. "I'm gonna go see if Teal'c had any luck."

 

"O'Neill!"

 

They turned to see Teal'c standing outside an opening in the rock. He waved them up, then went back into the cave. "I got a funny feeling he found something," Jack said, adjusting his gun.

 

"You think so, sir?" Sam asked, also getting to her feet.

 

"I just got a feeling. Let's go see what's got him excited." Jack led the quartet up the slight incline. Although the rock face itself was rather steep, the surface was liberally laced with ledges creating an almost 'chutes and ladders' approach to their ascent. Nothing was steep enough to require climbing gear, but it was enough of a climb that they all were breathing heavily when they arrived outside the cave.

 

"In here," Teal'c said, waving them in. They pulled their flashlights from their vests and four beams of light cut into the darkness. The entrance was narrow with a small tunnel opening out into a larger narrow room, extending thirty feet or so into the escarpment. The walls were the same obsidian black as the rest of the surrounding rocks, making it seem even darker inside.

 

For the most part, the rock was smooth, with rougher patches that reflected the light from the flashlights back at them. Janet watched Sam step away from the group, her rifle ignored as she stretched out her hands and touched the rock.

 

"This looks like lava, sir," she said, running her fingers over the stone.

 

"You sure?"

 

"As sure as I can be. I'm not a geologist but it looks exactly like the rocks I saw in Hawaii once."

 

"That would be conclusive with SG-8's supposition of recent seismic activity," Teal'c said. "And there was once life here." He pointed his staff weapon towards the far wall. Daniel followed the motion with his flashlight and illuminated several drawings. The black rock was marked with a light colored paint, laid out on the rock in a series of simple drawings.

 

Daniel walked forward, his brow furrowing as he tried to place the writings. "They're pictograms," he said, tracing one of them with his finger.

 

"What's it say?" Jack asked, stepping up behind him.

 

"It could say 'For a good time, call Jack', for all I know. Polynesian history is far from my specialty."

 

"So…is it worth studying or should we take a few pictures and go home?"

 

Daniel sighed and scratched his head. "We could look into the other caves, see if there's something else in them. Or look for some ruins."

 

"The UAV didn't show any structures within 20 miles of the gate," Sam spoke up, walking over to stand by her two teammates.

 

Jack turned. "Teal'c, how many more caves did you see?"

 

"I have investigated three other caverns, none of which contained any art work. There are several others further up in this cliff face."

 

Jack looked at his watch. "We're not going to make it back to the gate before nightfall. Let's set up camp here. We can check out these other caves in the morning, and if we don't find anything else, we'll take a few pictures and go home."

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

Janet rolled over, groaning at the sore muscles. This was one definite downside to exploring other planets…sleeping on the ground sucked. She slowly sat up, carefully stretching out the kinks. She could see Teal'c and O'Neill sitting by the opening to the cave, while Sam and Daniel were still curled up in their bedrolls, seemingly fast asleep.

 

They'd made their fire near the opening to allow the smoke to escape and she could smell the welcome bitter aroma of coffee.

 

She crawled out of her sleeping bag and got to her feet, stretching again. She yawned as her neck popped. Still sleepy, she staggered towards the fire, the coffee beckoning her forward. The colonel saw her coming and poured her a cup of the brew, which he handed to her as she sat down by the fire. "Thanks," she muttered, wrapping her fingers around the metal cup.

 

Jack grunted and poured himself another mug. "Sleep well?"

 

"It's a bed a chiropractor would love," she quipped.

 

"You get used to it," he said.

 

"Admiring the view?"

 

"Sorta. What do you think that is?" Jack pointed off to the distance. Beyond another range of hills Janet could see a low white cloud seemingly hovering on the horizon.

 

"Clouds?"

 

"Clouds normally move with the prevailing wind. This one does not," Teal'c said.

 

"Civilization?" she asked, slightly alarmed.

 

Jack shook his head. "Too big. Unless there's a nuclear reactor out there."

 

"What are you going to do? It's not near the gate is it?"

 

"No. It could be an atmospheric anomaly or something. We'll keep an eye on it. If it gets worse, we'll head back." Jack took another gulp of his coffee and tossed the rest out the cave's mouth. "I'll go wake up Carter and Daniel. The sooner we check out the rest of the caves, the sooner we can head home."

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

"Daniel?" Janet called as she climbed the rocky ledge. It was a little around midday and she'd been sent to fetch Daniel for lunch. Pausing to catch her breath, she turned and looked at the cloud. It was still hanging over the distant foothills, just like it had been all morning. Sam hadn't been able to explain it once she'd woken up and taken a look. Teal'c had wanted to go investigate but Jack had nixed the idea. Their best guess was that the phenomenon, whatever it was, was miles away. And was apparently staying miles away.

 

"In here." She heard. 

 

Ducking into the cave she squinted her eyes, standing still until they adjusted to the dimness. "Daniel? Lunch time."

 

"Already?" He turned to look at her. "Can you tell Jack to wait a few more minutes? I'm almost done here."

 

"Really? You know what it means?" She squatted at his side.

 

He shrugged. "Sort of. Sam said the planet had been seismically active right?"

 

"Yeah. And volcanoes if the lava is any indication." She tapped the wall of the cave.

 

"Which makes sense." He shined his light on the images. "That looks like a representation of a volcano to me." He pointed out the tell tale pyramid shape.

 

"It could be a goa'uld ship."

 

He quirked his head and grinned. "True. But given the lack of people and naquadah on this planet and the over abundance of ignacious rock…it'd go for the volcano theory."

 

"So…nothing here of value?"

 

"Nothing of value to the SGC anyway. It is still the first indication of Polynesian abductees."

 

"I don't think the colonel's going to hang around for that," she said.

 

"No," he agreed wryly. "He won't." He reached for the camera and snapped a few more pictures. Getting to his feet, he shoved the camera into his pack. "I've been through all the other caves and this is the only other one with drawings in it. We can take this back and have a friend of mine look at it." He held out his hand and helped Janet to her feet.

 

She staggered and he tightened his grip as a low rumble rolled through the cave. Rocks began to rain from the ceiling and Janet turned her terrified gaze to her companion. "Outside!" he screamed. He started to pull her towards the cave entrance as a loud crack resounded through the cavern. In an instant a large piece of the floor fell away and Janet stared in horror as she realized that it was the part of the floor Daniel was standing on. She threw herself back, trying to pull him with her.

 

Surrendering to gravity, he fell. She crashed to the floor, tightening her grip on his hand. She screamed as pain tore through her right arm as it suddenly had to support the weight of a full-grown man. She heard Daniel cry out as his body slammed into the wall of the crevasse. She felt the ground shudder under her, and instinctively dug her free hand into the hard rock to keep Daniel's weight from pulling both of them over.

 

Unable to really do anything, she screwed her eyes shut and tightened her grip on Daniel's hand, relieved when he responded, grabbing her fingers with crushing force.

 

She heard the loud clatter of rocks falling all around them and gasped as a large one landed just inches from her face throwing sharp shards at her.

 

After an eternity she felt the rumbles slow, an unearthly quiet settling over them. She breathed and coughed at the dust  filling the air.

 

"Janet?" Unable to talk, she tried to squeeze his hand, discovering that her fingers could grasp his no tighter than they already were. She heard a soft thud and feared for a moment that he might have fallen. Her arm jerked painfully and she felt a second hand wrap around her forearm. He hadn't fallen. There was another jerk and suddenly she felt his hand tear free of her cramped fingers.

 

She lay there for a second, feeling tears well up in her eyes that had nothing to do with the dust. Morbidly, she waited for the thud; her physician's mind cataloguing every injury he could sustain in a fall.

 

A faint scrabbling sound impinged on her brain and she painfully turned her head, her eyes growing wide at the sight of a grubby, pale hand grasping the edge of the newly formed chasm. It was followed by a second, and then the top of a dust covered head.

 

She watched Daniel pull himself up, too shocked to do anything but lie there. How could he be here? He'd fallen, hadn't he?

 

He laboriously pulled himself over the edge and collapsed there, breathing heavily. "You ok?" he asked after a second, raising his head to look at her.

 

"You're dead," she muttered.

 

"Not yet, anyway." He pushed himself up and crawled over to her. "I’m ok, Janet." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?" Reassured by the warmth on her shoulder, she slowly rolled away from the edge, moaning in pain as her arm flopped across her belly. "How bad?"

 

She carefully raised her left arm to her right shoulder and probed the joint. Her practiced hands found no separation and moved to her elbow and wrist. Now that the adrenaline was fading she could feel the burning pull of badly strained muscles and the hot pooling of blood that told her she was going to have some serious bruises. Biting her lip, she carefully twitched her fingers, relieved to know that nothing appeared broken.

 

"I think it's just strained." She felt his hands at her back and let him help her sit up. She tucked her injured arm into the partially unzipped front of her jacket, creating a makeshift sling. "What happened?"

 

"I guess an earthquake. But it's not like any earthquake I've ever experienced."

 

She nodded and looked around, trying to see through the thick dust. Their flashlights had survived and twin beams pierced the darkness. She could see that the crevasse didn't run the full length of the cavern, so there was still a way out. She looked towards the entrance and frowned. "Daniel, why is it so dark?"

 

"I don't know." He left her and picked up the flashlights, pausing to help her to her feet and press the light into her left hand. They carefully picked their way around the gaping hole and stood at the opening. "Oh boy."

 

It was as dark as night outside. The clouds hung heavy and low and she could immediately see the source of their problem.  "It wasn't an earthquake."

 

"No," he agreed, staring at the distant hills. The tall white cloud was now an angry roiling black. She could see vivid green bolts of lightening flashing, that contrasted with the ruddy red glow that tinged the bottom of the cloud. "I've seen this movie," he quipped.

 

"Volcano?"

 

"No. Dante's Peak."

 

"What do we do?"

 

Daniel grabbed her good arm. "To quote Jack, we get the hell out of here. Come on," he urged, leading them down the ledge towards the main cave. They carefully picked their way down the cliff face, which fortunately, had fared better than the cave they'd been in. "Jack? Sam? Teal'c?" Daniel called as they made their way to the opening to the cave.

 

Fighting her fear, Janet followed him in, her heart sinking as she saw the pile of rocks in the middle of the cavern. "Oh my god," she muttered, looking for a way around the cave in.

 

Daniel pulled his radio out of his pocket. "Jack? Sam? Teal'c? You guys ok?" he called. He turned up the volume and the white noise of static echoed in the cave. He shot Janet an anxious glance and keyed the radio again. "Guys? Come on, you ok? Jack? Teal'c? Sam? Talk to me…key the mike if you can't," he urged.

 

"Daniel?" Janet and Daniel sighed in relief at the sound of Sam's voice.

 

"Sam? You ok?"

 

"Aah…yeah. I think so. What happened?"

 

"That cloud, it was a volcano and it erupted. Are Jack and Teal'c ok?" There was a pause and they heard the shuffling of a person through the open mike.

 

"They're alive," they finally heard. "Umm…the colonel's unconscious and Teal'c is pinned under some rock."

 

Janet took the radio from Daniel. "How about you, Sam?"

 

"Janet?"

 

"Yeah. Are you ok?"

 

"Yeah. I just…I hit my head."

 

"Ok. Hang on a second." Janet released the mike and turned to Daniel. "We need some help. I don't know how big the chamber is but they won't have much air in there. And there's no way the two of us can dig them out, or get them back to the gate even if we do."

 

Daniel paused for a second, then turned and looked out the opening of the cave. There was now a light rain of ash falling, giving their surrounding an almost Christmassy feel. It was incredibly surreal to be surrounded by tropical foliage and a warm snow. "Ten miles right?"

 

"About," Janet agreed.

 

"Which means I should be able to get there in a couple of hours, three at the most."

 

Janet nodded, recognizing that there really was no other choice. "I should stay here. If the colonel or Teal'c are hurt worse than we think, maybe I can help." He nodded. "Do you have any goggles?" she asked.

 

"Yeah," he answered wryly. "In my pack in the bottom of the hole."

 

"You should try to avoid breathing in any of that ash. It's not good on the lungs." He nodded and pulled his bandanna from off his head to wrap it bandit style over his nose and mouth.

 

"Anything else?" He asked, his voice muffled.

 

"I don't suppose you need me to tell you to avoid the flowing rivers of that hot, red stuff?"

 

He rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. "The gate will be out of range of the radios, so I can't call you and let you know I've made it. I guess…if I'm not back in twelve hours…I'm not coming back."

 

She nodded. "Good luck." She watched him step out into the darkness. The ash fall swallowed him up in a matter of seconds. She stood there; listening to the odd faint rumbles of the distant volcano then turned back to the interior of the cave.

 

The ceiling had fallen in about ten feet from the opening, and well away from their campsite if she recalled correctly. She could see the smoldering remains of their cook fire but none of their packs.

 

"Sam?" She called into the radio. "How big is the chamber?"

 

"Umm…about twenty feet or so."

 

"Which means that the rock fall is about five feet thick. How bad are the colonel and Teal'c?"

 

"Teal'c's pulse is steady but he's pinned. I don't know how bad it is under the rocks but his feet are warm so he has good circulation. The colonel's still unconscious. There's aah…there's a gash and I think he might have some broken ribs."

 

"How about you?" Janet asked, easing herself down and leaning her back against the wall.

 

"I'm ok."

 

"Sam. I need to know the truth," Janet insisted.

 

She heard her friend sigh. "I know I have a concussion, sometimes my eyes get blurry and I think I wrenched my knee, I can't bear much weight on it," she admitted.

 

"What else?" Janet prodded.

 

"That's it, honest. Unless you want a list of bruises. How about you?" she fired back.

 

"I’m fine," Janet said. "Do you have the packs?"

 

"Yeah. And the first aid kits. Where's Daniel?"

 

"He went to go get help."

 

"How bad is it out there?"

 

"Just some ash. There may be some lava closer to the volcano but I think the way to the gate is still clear."

 

"Daniel should wear his goggles if he has them. The ash can be horribly abrasive," Sam advised.

 

"He knows. Sam, I don't know how long these batteries will last. Maybe we should just check in every so often," Janet suggested.

 

"Yeah. Ok. Every half hour work for you?"

 

"Or if anything happens. Let me know when the colonel or Teal'c wake up or if you start to feel bad."

 

"And you let me know if things change with you," Sam said.

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

Daniel trudged through the warm snow, squinting his eyes shut in an attempt to protect them from the ash. This trek was so different from the one just twenty-four hours before. Not only was he alone this time, but there was an obvious urgency to his mission. Jack and Teal'c were injured, how badly he didn't know.

Janet was definitely more incapacitated then she was letting on, and there was the small matter of the volcano.

 

He peeked over his shoulder, fighting the urge to run. All volcanic eruptions were different, he knew. Kiluwea usually erupted in photogenic plumes and fountains of lava, while Mount Pinatubo and Mount Saint Helen's were known for their severity and violence. He remembered visiting Pompeii once. He'd spent days walking through the streets of the ancient city, marveling at the beauty of the place. It was as if he'd hopped into a time machine and been transported back to 79AD.

 

His fascination had been tempered somewhat by the forms lying in the streets. They were the casts of bodies, people who had died where they'd fallen when the ash and poisonous gas had blasted the town. It didn't take much imagination to 'see' the panic and have a feeling of the terror those people had gone through in the last few minutes of their lives.

 

He thought of his friends, entombed behind tons of rock. They were safe, maybe. Safe from the gasses at least, although that safety came at the price of eventual suffocation. Janet wouldn't suffocate but she was vulnerable in the cave. If the cave system was vulnerable enough for one cave in, another was almost assured. The volcano should be far enough away that whatever poisonous gasses were released would dissipate enough to be safe. Then again, the scientists studying Mount Saint Helen's and Mount Pinatubo had thought they were at a safe distance as well.

 

Spurred on by his own morbid thoughts, he picked up the pace. Maybe the eruption would abate; maybe it'd just get worse. Hopefully there'd be no one from Earth still around to find out.

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

Sam reached out and carefully wrapped her fingers around a rock. She lifted it and tossed it aside, listening to it clunk against the others. She reached out again, careful not to extend her hand too far and jam her fingers like she'd done the first few times. Trying to dig Teal'c out would be so much easier if she'd just use the flashlight, she thought, fighting the urge to open her eyes.

 

Opening her eyes meant that she would try to see, her eyes would try to focus, regardless of the fact that it was too dark to see anything. And all trying to focus did was make her headache worse.

 

Lobbing another rock aside, she heard it ricochet off other stones, the dull clacking sound reminding her of pool balls. That's what she should do when she got home, go play some pool.

 

"Can you keep it down? People are trying to sleep here."

 

Sam stopped moving the rocks, sighing at the sound of the colonel's voice.  "Colonel, you're awake."

 

"Depends. Is it dark in here?"

 

She could hear him grunt as he tried to sit up. "Easy, sir. I don't know how badly you're hurt." She flipped on the flashlight, wincing as he cursed. "Sorry. The other two flashlights didn't make it so I'm trying to save the batteries on this one." She scooted over to him, keeping her weight off her left leg.

 

"What happened to you?" he asked.

 

"I got in a fight with a volcano," she quipped, sitting next to him.

 

"Volcano?"

 

"The cloud," she reminded.

 

Jack nodded. "Daniel? Doc?"

 

"They're both ok. Janet's outside, Daniel's gone to get help."

 

"Teal'c?"

 

Sam shook her head. "He hasn't woke up yet. I think I can dig him out, see if there's any injuries I can't see. That's the only thing that would explain his prolonged unconsciousness."

 

Jack edged up on his elbows. "We," he said, emphasizing the word, "can dig him out faster."

 

"You," she put her hand on his shoulder to keep him supine, "should stay put. I don't know how bad you're hurt but I do know moving around will just make that gash bleed more." She pointed out the blood soaked bandage on his side. "Plus," she raised her voice a bit when he opened his mouth to protest. "Remember what happened the last time you pretended you didn't have broken ribs?"

 

He shot her a dirty look and instead scooted to prop his back against the wall. "You're getting mouthy in your old age," he quipped, accepting the canteen she handed him.

 

"Wonder where I got that from? Sir, I figure we've got about twelve hours before SG-6 can get here. "Now," she looked around the chamber. "Oxygen shouldn’t be a problem, but water might be. That's all we have."

 

"Any good news?" Jack asked, carefully twisting the top back on the suddenly too small bottle.

 

Sam shrugged. "It's warmer than last time?"

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

General George Hammond signed the piece of paper and slid it into his outbox with a flourish. All done, he thought as he capped his pen and slipped it into his desk drawer. He took a quick glance at his watch and smiled. He'd actually done it. For once he was going to make his tee time. Only three teams were off-world, all of them on simple missions to previously explored worlds. It was a beautiful spring day and he'd managed to secure a prime tee time for himself and General Kerrington.

 

Pushing away from his desk, he stood up and crossed to the corner of the room. He picked up his bag of clubs and left his office, locking the door behind him. He'd made arrangements for Major Coburn to be officer of the day so all he had to do was inform the control room staff and leave.

 

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the stargate began to spin, triggering the klaxons. "What's going on?" he demanded of Sargent Davis.

 

"Unauthorized off-world activation, sir," the man said, closing the iris as the last chevron engaged.

"Receiving IDC sir," he reported after a minute. "It's SG-1."

 

"Of course it is. Open the iris," Hammond commanded letting his bag of clubs slide off his shoulder.

 

He hurried down to the gateroom as a lanky gray figure emerged from the event horizon, stumbling a bit on the metal grate ramp. The wormhole snapped shut, disengaging no more travelers. "Doctor Jackson. Where's the rest of your team?" he demanded as the man pulled the bandana down, breathing deeply.

 

"They're trapped, sir. And we don't have much time. There's a volcano erupting on P9Z381."

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

"Janet? Janet?" Janet opened her eyes and blinked, trying to clear her head. She coughed, wincing at the shaft of pain stabbing through her brain.  "Janet? Talk to me! Are you ok?" Hearing Sam's voice she stared stupidly down at the radio clasped loosely in her hand. Radio. Planet. That's right. She was off world and SG-1 was…Sam. She fumbled with the walkie-talkie.

 

"Sam?"

 

"Janet, thank God. I've been trying to get a hold of you for almost half an hour. Something's wrong with the colonel," Sam said urgently.

 

Janet pushed herself up, not remembering slumping down. She bit her lip as her shoulder and arm screamed. The pulled muscles had stiffened considerably and now even her back and chest hurt. "What's wrong?"

 

"His breathing, it's labored. He was awake, but now he's just semi-conscious," she reported.

 

"Did he say anything else?"

 

"Just that it hurt, which knowing the colonel means it hurt a lot if he was complaining about it. I thought it was just his ribs."

 

"Ok, Sam. I need you to listen to his breathing on both sides. Lay your ear on his chest and tell me what you hear," Janet instructed, trying to think of what could be wrong with the man.

 

"Umm…I think I heard him breathing on one side, but not the other," Sam said, her voice uncertain.

 

"Look at his trachea, is it pushed to one side?"

 

"Yeah, a little."

 

"Ok. Sam it's a tension pneumo thorax. He has air in his chest that isn't in his lungs. It sounds like the pressure's already collapsed his lung. We need to relieve it or he'll die."

 

"Relieve it? How?"

 

"You said you had a first aid kit?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"It's got a syringe in it. I need you to get a rubber glove. But don't put it on."

 

"Ok."

 

"Get the scissors, cut off one of the fingers and stick the syringe down in it like….umm…like putting the cap on a pen, but you want the needle to stick out the fingertip," she instructed, struggling not to cough. While she'd been asleep, more ash had fallen, some of it drifting into the cave. Everything was gray, even the faint light that filtered in from outside.

 

"Ok. Now what?" Sam asked, pulling Janet's attention back to the present.

 

"I want you to cut open the colonel's T-shirt so you can get at his chest and take the plunger out of the syringe."

 

"Ok."

 

"Find the space between his second and third rib on the side where you didn't hear any breath sounds and put your finger there."

 

"Got it."

 

"Ok. Stick the needle in right by your finger. You should hear a rush of air."

 

"WHAT?"

 

"It's called needle decompression. You're going to use the syringe to release the pressure in his chest cavity. The needle should be long enough to go through his chest wall."

 

"Janet…I can't…."

 

"Sam. If you don't do this, he'll die," she said coldly, cursing the rocks that separated them. She sat in the silent twilight feeling more helpless than she ever had been in her life. "Sam?" she called when she could take the suspense no more.

 

"It…it worked. I hear air coming out and he's breathing a little easier."

 

Janet closed her eyes in relief. "Good. The glove should work like a makeshift flutter valve and keep the air from going back in. Tape it in place. You'll need to keep an eye on him. He can't move around much." The doctor looked to her wrist, squinting to see her watch in the dimness. It'd been about ten hours since Daniel had left, which meant help should be arriving any time. Assuming Daniel had made it, and that General Hammond had authorized a rescue, and that they could find them. Her heart lurched and she scrambled to her feet. She made her way to the opening of the cave, leaning against the wall.

 

It was gray, everything was gray. All the vibrant green grass was gone, covered by inches of ash. Here and there, a few bits of black rock were visible. The only color she could see was a faint ruddy glow where the volcano was. She'd spent a few hours earlier in the day studying the scenery and now she couldn't recognize a thing. It was as if they'd been transplanted to a different planet. Oh God. What if they couldn't find them? If she had a hard time recognizing where they were, how could Daniel lead help to them? He'd spent most of his time studying the cave drawings, not their surroundings. "Sam?" she called into the radio.

 

"Janet? What's wrong?"

 

"Does the SGC know exactly where we are?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Do they know where these caves are?"

 

"We had a heading. They should be able to find us. Or at least get close. They can call you on the comm."

 

"Can volcanoes interfere with radio transmissions?"

 

Sam was silent for a second as the ramifications sank in. "Umm…Maybe, I think. Thunderstorms do and sometimes volcanoes spawn thunderstorms. Why?" Janet could hear the worry in her friend's voice.

 

"Nothing," Janet lied, not wanting to alarm her friend.

 

"Janet. What's wrong?" Sam demanded.

 

"There's been a lot of ashe noddedH

. I'm afraid they won't be able to find us."

 

"Do you have some way to mark it?"

 

"What?"

 

"Some way to mark the opening," Sam suggested. Janet could hear the frustration in her voice. It was the same thing she was feeling. She could have diagnosed the colonel and treated him far faster and easier than having to talk Sam through it. The same way Sam would have a better idea of the SOP for rescue teams. Janet thought for a moment, then dug in her vest pocket, pulling out a thin Mylar survival blanket.

 

"Sam, how's the colonel?" she asked as she dug in the small pile of fire wood, searching for a long stick, struggling a bit with her injured arm.

 

"He's breathing easier but he's thirsty. I've been giving him a little water but we lost all but one of our canteens so we're trying to ration it. Teal'c is still out. I…I don't now if Junior's been hurt," Sam reported as Janet sat down, pulling her knife from its sheath. She unfolded the blanket and laid it on her lap, using her limp arm to anchor it. Trying not to cut herself, she poked two small holes in the material and threaded the stick through it, creating a make shift silver flag.

 

She crawled to the opening and shifted a few of the smaller rocks, using them to prop the stick up. She leaned back and admired her handy work. Not bad for a woman whose survival skills came from four weeks of Officers training and Macgyver re-runs.

 

"I almost have him dug out," Sam continued. "But only one flashlight survived the cave in, so I've been doing it by touch and trying to save the battery."

 

"It's possible that the symbiote might be injured. It'll heal itself before it heals him," Janet said distractedly.

 

"Janet?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Daniel will bring help," she encouraged. "Tenacious is his middle name."

 

"I know," Janet said, making her way closer to the rock fall. The ash outside was heavier now and there was a slight breeze forming. From the distant rumbles she guessed that some of the thunderstorms the volcano were spawning were approaching their location. With no sunshine to warm the planet, the temperature had dropped significantly, and the jacket that she'd felt was too warm earlier in the day, was now not quite enough to keep her comfortably warm. She had the wood to start a fire…but the matches were in the packs behind the rock fall. For a second she toyed with taking down the flag, but decided against it. The rescue team could walk right past them in the heavy ash and the darkness. "Sam, you should probably try to get some sleep. Conserve the oxygen," she suggested fighting the urge to encourage her friend to keep talking. She'd never felt so alone before. Her whole world had shrunk down to the chamber she was in. The climate outside was so hostile, she was almost afraid to stick her head out. She wondered about the true conditions of her friends. Sam's needle decompression would buy the colonel time…but he needed real medical treatment. Treatment she could give…if she could just get to him. And Teal'c…who knew what was wrong with him. Junior certainly made him resilient…but the symbiote was also his Achilles Heel. If it died, so did he. Conversely, if Teal'c died…then Sam and O'Neill would be trapped in the same chamber with a symbiote desperate for a host.

 

"Janet? Are you ok?" Sam asked.

 

"Sam, I'm fine. Like you said, Daniel will be here anytime, dragging SG-6 with him," she responded, forcing cheer into her voice. "Now, take the advice of your doctor, take a nap."

 

"Ok," Sam said. Janet pulled her legs up and tucked the radio into her lap, trying to curl up to conserve as much body heat as possible. Within a few minutes, the dull rumblings of thunder had lulled her into a restless slumber.

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

"Doc? Doc!" A heavy hand on her shoulder woke Janet up. Startled, she lurched back, the radio falling from her lap. "Whoa. Easy there, doc." A figure squatted down in front of her. "You ok?"

 

She blinked her eyes to focus them, squinting against the flood of light in the chamber. "Major Griff?" She asked, struggling to recognize the man's features behind the heavy gas mask he wore.

 

He leaned back and pulled the mask off, running his fingers through his short-cropped red hair. "Yeah. You ok?" he repeated.

 

She nodded then scanned the room, relieved to see a half dozen other figures, all attired similarly in protective garb. "Daniel made it back?" she asked.

 

"And back again." One of the men pulled off his mask revealing Daniel's tired face. "Good idea with the flag, I was having a hard time recognizing the place."

 

"We don't have a lot of time," Griff interrupted. "Do you know the condition of O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c?" The other five members of the rescue team also took off their masks and started unpacking equipment.

 

"Carter is ok although she said she hurt her knee so I don't know how mobile she'll be. O'Neill has internal injuries and will have to be carried out. We don't know about Teal'c. He's been unconscious ever since it happened," Janet reported, gratefully accepting a canteen from Daniel and taking a deep drink.

 

"From what Doctor Jackson told us, we don't think we can blast them out…we'll have to do it the old fashioned way," one of the men said, waving at the pile of black rocks. "Do you have any idea how much material we need to get through?"

 

Janet shook her head. "We think about five feet or so but we don't know for sure."

 

"Janet?" Her forgotten radio crackled into life. Janet knelt down and retrieved it. "I think I hear voices. Is someone there or am I imagining things?"

 

"Sam, SG-6 is here, they're going to dig you guys out."

 

Griff took the radio from the doctor. "Major, what's your condition?"

 

"The colonel is stable but he's floating in and out of consciousness. I've been working on getting Teal'c dug out. He woke up for a second and said that Junior was hurt. The cavern seems relatively stable and there has to be an air source somewhere, because I haven't noticed it getting stale but we're out of water now," Sam reported.

 

"Ok, Major. If you can hear our voices then the debris might not be too thick. We're going to start working on moving it. Let us know if anything changes."

 

Janet felt a gentle hand on her arm and she let Daniel pull her away from the debris, the other five members of SG-6 quickly moving into position. Daniel led her towards the opening of the cave and helped her sit down. He reached into one of the packs brought by the rescue team, drawing out a thermos. He opened it and poured a small amount of coffee into the cup. He held it out to her with a wry grin. "Don't even go into the lecture."

 

She rolled her eyes and took the mug from him, wrapping her fingers around the thick plastic cup. She breathed in appreciatively, the acrid smell of the beverage cutting the odor of sulfur and dust that had filled her nostrils for the last few hours. She took a sip, reveling in the small rush of awareness and warmth. "For once, Daniel. I'll ignore the lecture."

 

He waited until she'd finished the coffee then pointed at her arm, still stuck into the unzipped front of her jacket. "How bad is it?"

 

She set down the cup, using her left hand to gently massage her right upper arm. "It's just strained. My muscles feel like rubber."

 

"We brought you something else." He reached into his pack and pulled out a sling, which he helped her put on. He pulled out a small bottle of pills and his canteen. She gratefully took the painkillers and leaned back against the cave wall. She watched SG-6 efficiently work at removing the rocks, forming almost a bucket brigade with the last person chucking the rocks out the mouth of the cave.

 

Janet let herself relax, safe in the knowledge that her friends would soon be liberated.  "Janet?" Sam's voice carried over the radio.

 

"Sam? What's wrong?" She asked into the radio Griff had returned to her.

 

"It's Teal'c. I'm digging him out and I found something. There's a huge gash in his leg. Janet, he's lost a lot of blood."

 

Janet could hear the worry in her friend's voice. "Is he conscious?"

 

"No. His pulse is weak and he's cold. Janet, I think he's bleeding to death."

 

Janet stopped and thought; very aware of the six pairs of eyes all trained on her. SG-6 had halted in their digging and were standing in front of her, their feet shuffling occasionally in the dirt. "My pack," she said suddenly. "Sam, you have my pack in there right?"

 

"Yeah, we have all of them."

 

"I have a full med. Kit in there, and there's an IV. Teal'c needs fluids."

 

"Hang on." Janet sat there for the next few eternal seconds, feeling the tension in the small chamber increase exponentially. She could see the frustration in their movements, they wanted to keep undigging the stranded people, but they were also paying rapt attention to the radio. "It's broken," Sam reported, her voice catching.

 

"What?"

 

"The bag ruptured, it's empty."

 

Janet shook her head. "There's nothing you can do then Sam. Teal'c will just have to hang on until we can get to him."

 

"I don't…I don't think he has that long," Sam said quietly. "Janet…I have an idea." Janet met Daniel's concerned gaze, both of them picking up on the tone of her voice.

 

"Sam, what are you thinking?"

 

"O Negative is the universal donor, right?"

 

"Sam. No," Janet said strongly, getting the idea of what her friend had in mind. "It's too dangerous."

 

"Look, you test us to kingdom come and back. Anyway, I doubt I can give Teal'c a disease that Junior can't fight."

 

"It's not that. Sam, the human body is like a sponge. If you give Teal'c a direct transfusion, we have no idea of how much blood you're losing. You could very easily bleed to death."

 

"Not if I pay attention. I'll just…do it for a few minutes. That much can't hurt," she said.

 

"Sam. No. Don't do it," Janet ordered. "Sam?" she asked when there was no response. "Sam!"

 

Daniel put his hand over hers. "She's ignoring you. She's going to do it," he said.

 

"Then let's dig faster people," Griff ordered.

 

"Damned hard headed military," Janet muttered watching as Daniel got to his feet, lending another pair of hands to the rock moving detail.

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

Sam set the radio aside, wincing at Janet's tone. Yep, she was going to have hell to pay if….when Carter, when, she got out. She checked the pressure bandage, making sure it was stemming the bleeding. No wonder Teal'c hadn't woken up, she thought, looking at the light shining off the coagulating pool of blood.

 

She knew blood could be deceiving outside the body, a few ounces could look like gallons. But she also knew what a person looked like when they were bleeding to death. She wouldn't have enough blood volume to totally fix him; she knew that for sure. But maybe she could buy him some time, just an hour or two until the rescue team could get in here. They'd likely have IV's with them.

 

She picked up the ruined IV bag. The bag itself and the remaining contents maybe ruined, but that wasn't the part she wanted. She studied the covered needle on one end; she needed to rig up something for the other end.

 

Digging in Janet's bag, she pulled out a syringe. She cut off the narrow tip and worked it into the pliant plastic of the tubing. She taped the end, hoping to prevent it from leaking then rolled up her sleeve.

Pulling out some alcohol wipes, she swabbed both hers and Teal'c's arms. Taking a relaxing breath, she slowly slid the needle into her vein. Fortunately she'd given enough blood samples over the years to know where her veins were. Dispassionately she watched the dark red fluid flow down the tube. When it reached the end she slid the needle into Teal'c's arm.

 

Shifting her position a bit, she leaned back against the wall. The colonel was on the other side of the cave, mercifully asleep. Which was a good thing, Janet would be enough to deal with.

 

She glanced at her watch. She'd just do it for fifteen minutes. That should be enough time to help Teal'c. The flashlight flickered and went out, its batteries spent. Marooned in total darkness, she tried to keep track of the time in her head, as she fought the overwhelming urge to fall asleep.

 

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

"Janet? Janet, they're through." She opened eyes she hadn't recalled closing, to see Daniel leaning over her.

 

"What?"

 

"They're through," he repeated, holding out his hand to help her up.

 

She gained her feet, grabbing a hold of his forearm as the cave spun. "You ok?" he asked.

 

"Just stood up too fast." She made her way to the rock fall, stumbling a bit over various pieces of debris. With Major Griff's help she scrambled through the opening. She could see Captain Keller kneeling beside Colonel O'Neill. The woman was preparing to start an IV and Janet could see the Stokes litter propped against the cave wall, prepatory to moving him out.

 

After being assured that he was stable, she went over to Sam who was sitting beside Teal'c, her eyes closed. The Jaffa was lying half on his side, a pressure bandage tied around his upper left leg.

 

Janet knelt down and took his pulse, relieved to find it steady if a bit weak. Her eyes caught sight of the blood stained IV tubing lying on the ground as she picked up Sam's wrist to check her pulse.

 

"Told you it'd work," the woman said, opening her eyes.

 

"I'm not even going to begin to tell you how stupid that was," Janet chided, unable to stay angry.

 

"It was exactly what you would have done," Sam countered.

 

"Sam…" Janet was saved from replying by the arrival of Daniel and Sargent Miller.

 

"Daniel, you made it?" Sam smiled, accepting a canteen from her friend and drinking deeply.

 

"Both of them need IV's before you load them on the stretchers," Janet instructed the Sargent. The man nodded and started to pull supplies out of his large medical kit.

 

"No. I don't," Sam insisted. "And I'm fine making my own way out." She pushed herself to her feet, or more accurately foot as Janet noticed she was careful to keep the weight off her left leg. She immediately swayed and only Daniel's quick reflexes kept her from falling.

 

"Whoa, Sam. Janet's right," he said.

 

"I just stood up too fast," Sam excused, easing herself back down.

 

"Sam, either you let them help you or I'm going to knock you upside your head," Janet threatened.

 

"Janet…"

 

"No arguments."

 

"We don't have time for arguments," Griff interrupted. Janet turned and could see two people already lifting Jack's litter and maneuvering it to the opening in the rock fall. "When we came through there was a lava flow about five miles on the other side of the gate. At the rate it was spreading, we got maybe three more hours before it buries the gate, stranding us here," he reported.

 

Sam shook her head. "We can't make it to the gate in three hours, not with the colonel and Teal'c needing to be carried," Sam said, ignoring Daniel's pointed look at her swollen knee.

 

"We can in the hum vee we have outside," he said, waving two of his people forward. "The SGC is opening the gate every half hour and monitoring the lava via a MALP, but our orders are to scoop and run."

 

Daniel held out his arm and again helped Sam to her feet, this time wrapping his arm around her waist. He led her away as Janet too cleared the area so Teal'c could be loaded into the litter. They laboriously made their way through the hole in the debris and towards the entrance to the cave.

 

"Whoa," Sam said, coming to a halt at the mouth of the cave. "You didn't say it was that bad."

 

"You didn't ask," Daniel said leaving her to lean against the wall as he retrieved his pack and gas mask.

"We have spares in the hum vee," he told them, his voice muffled.

 

"How bad are the gasses?" Sam asked as he again pulled her arm over his shoulder.

 

"Not too bad, at least according to the MALP. We're pretty far away but if the wind happens to shift we could be in trouble, so we came prepared."

 

"Which gasses?" Janet asked.

 

"Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and lots of other stuff. If it's not too concentrated, then we should be fine, at least for the short term."

 

Daniel led the two women down the series of ledges, following half filled in tracks from the rescue team's ascent hours before. They made their way down to the vehicles, climbing into the wide back seat of one of them.  Janet could see Captain Miller in the back of the other hum vee. About fifteen minutes later, Major Griff and the last of his team picked their way down the cliff face and piled into the vehicle, carefully loading Teal'c into the back. Griff climbed into the driver's seat and fired up the engine. The two vehicles started heading towards the gate, driving very slowly. The still falling ash reduced visibility down to a few dozen yards and the several inches that had already fallen obscured many of the features of the landscape. In a few places, it had been blown into odd gray drifts. Drifts that might be easy to drive through ash, or could be camouflaging obstacles like rocks or fallen trees, which could delay or thwart their departure.

 

They were about half way to the gate when the radio in the hum vee crackled to life. "SG-6 this is the SGC, come in."

 

Griff reached out and picked up the radio. "Sierra Golf six niner here."  
  


"What's your situation?" General Hammond asked.

 

"We've retrieved all four members of Sierra Golf one and are proceeding back to the gate."

 

"What is your ETA?"  
  


"We're about five miles from the stargate. Is something wrong, sir?"

 

"The latest MALP telemetry shows that the lava flow has changed course. We estimate that you have less than fifteen minutes before the gate is buried."

 

"We read you SGC. Sierra Golf six out," Griff replied. He hung up the radio and accelerated, causing his passengers to clutch whatever they could as the vehicle bucked over the rough terrain.

 

In a few minutes the stargate came into sight and Griff slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the barely visible MALP. The wormhole was active, its rippling surface glowing an eerie purple through the falling ash. Janet could see the bright red glow of lava just beyond the gate. The air was rippling with heat and she could hear the hiss as the slow moving molten rock consumed the grasses and trees in the field. "We don't have time to get the hum vees through the gate," Griff said, turning off the engine. "Let's snag the MALP and get our people home," he ordered. "SGC, this is Sierra Golf six. We're at the gate. Disengage from your end so we can dial out."

 

"Roger, Sierra Golf six." The wormhole snapped shut as Daniel opened the door, holding out his hand to help Janet and Sam out of the vehicle. Sargent Miller and another member of SG-6 opened the back of the hum vee and pulled Teal'c's litter out while Griff shuffled through the heavy ash and used his sleeve to brush the material off the top of the DHD to reveal the chevrons. Captain Keller brought Jack's litter close as the gate opened, the whoosh barely audible over the grumbling of the lava. Griff sent the GDO then waved the members of his team and SG-1 forward. The litters went through first, then Sam, Daniel and Janet following them. Griff grabbed the remote, steered the bulky probe up the small platform, and through the stargate just as the lava reached the pedestal. He looked down through the event horizon and saw the stones melt in uneven globs as he stepped into the illusionary puddle, leaving the world behind.

 

 

<><><><><> 

 

 

"Colonel O'Neill needs a chest x-ray and most likely a chest tube. Teal'c has a deep laceration in his thigh. Junior's on strike and he might need surgery to fix the damage," Janet ordered, following SG-1 and 6 into the infirmary. Doctor Warner and the rest of the medical staff sprang into action, breaking into small groups and each surrounding a patient. "Major Carter wrenched her knee and might have a concussion and…"

 

"And you need a chest and arm x-ray. Plus we need to check out those lacerations on your face and given your exposure to the contaminated air on the planet, I want to run some blood gasses and make sure you haven't picked up too much carbon monoxide," Doctor Warner said, gently pushing Janet onto a gurney.

 

"Doctor Warner…" she protested.

 

"I believe your standard procedure for protesting field team members is sedation," he threatened, ignoring the grins on Sam and Daniel's faces.

 

"I’m gonna go grab a shower," Daniel said, turning to leave the room.

 

"Just a minute, Doctor Jackson," Doctor Warner said. "You had a good excuse last time but you have yet to clear post gate. There's a spare gurney over there." He pointed across the room. Daniel shrugged and made his way to the gurney, ignoring the chuckles from the members of SG-6. "I wouldn't laugh too hard gentleman. You're next," Warner said to SG-6. "Hit the showers then get straight back here."

 

<><><><><> 

 

"Ok, colonel. You're free to go," Doctor Warner said, picking up Jack's chart and making his notations.

 

"That's it? No lecture, no list of instructions?" Jack asked, sliding off the bed.

 

"Why bother?" Warner shrugged. "You've had broken ribs before, and stitches. You're a smart man, if you can't remember how to take care of them, we're all in trouble. And I know for a fact that telling you HOW to behave is a sure fire way to make you misbehave."  He snapped the chart shut. "Now, go home and find someone else to harass," he said, his tone gruff but the look on his face pleasant. Doctor Warner may have different treatment methods from Fraiser, but apparently both of them went to the same bed-side manners school.

 

Jack left the infirmary and headed to the locker room, more than a little eager to get out of the base and go home. All in all, they'd gotten off lightly with him spending the most time in the infirmary. The first night was a bit of a blur but he remembered Carter and Daniel being released first after an overnight stay for observation. Then Fraiser and finally Teal'c just yesterday.

 

 He quickly changed into civilian clothes, taking a moment to run his fingers over the prickly ends of the sutures from where he'd had the chest tube inserted. Now he had a matching set, he thought as he traced the faint line from a few years ago. It had been another close one. Another time when they almost all didn't come home. And this time he didn't have anyone to blame, but the simple fact of being on the wrong planet at the wrong time. There were times when he wanted to hang up his eagles and take a break. Take some time off from having to worry about people, be responsible for other lives, and ultimately, their deaths. There were times when he was just plain tired, battered in body and spirit.

 

"There you are," Daniel said, strolling into the locker room. "Doctor Warner said he'd released you."

 

"Ya think?" Jack quipped, sliding on his jacket and digging in his pocket for his keys.  Hearing a familiar jingle he turned to see Daniel standing there, Jack's keys dangling from his fingers. "What, pray tell, are you doing with my keys?" Jack asked, holding out his hand.

 

"You weren't using it, so I borrowed it. And…drove it in today so I'm your ride home," he said.

 

Jack rolled his eyes and held his hand out again. "My truck, I drive."

 

With a shrug, Daniel tossed over the keys. "It's just as well, my car is at your place." The pair made their way out of the mountain and Jack drove the familiar route to his house. He pulled into his driveway, parking along side Daniel's car.

 

Jack got out and started towards the front door, shooting Daniel a curious glance as the man fell into step beside him. "Daniel? What are you doing?"

 

Daniel shot him a questioning look. "You forgot didn't you?"

 

"Forgot what?"

 

"Tuesday night. Movies?" Daniel prompted, causing Jack to groan. Ever since he'd had to sit through Teal'c's tenth viewing of Star Wars, Jack had started a semi-tradition. Every Tuesday night that they were on Earth, they'd get together and rent a couple of movies. Preferably something that wasn't sci-fi. It was all in an effort to broaden Teal'c's horizons and give him a greater sample of the entertainment Earth had to offer.

 

Jack sighed. "Look, Daniel I…" he paused as Sam and Janet parked in front of his house and got out of their cars. Sam limped forward carrying a plastic bag from the video store while Teal'c unfolded himself from Janet's car and pulled three large pizzas from the back seat. "Don't have much choice do I?" he asked, resigned to playing host for the next few hours.

 

Jack laid claim to his easy chair and let his guests make themselves at home. These gatherings were something he had found himself enjoying. When SG-1 had first been formed, there had been a few attempts to socialize, but then various events had caused them to drift apart a bit. Recently, he'd again found himself wanting to spend time with his friends. Maybe he was just getting mushy in his old age.

 

"Please tell me we're not going to watch more chick flicks," he begged accepting a plate of steaming pizza from Daniel.

 

"No," Sam said, propping her leg on the coffee table. Jack noticed that she'd quickly abandoned her prescribed crutches when she was off the base. "But…this might be almost as bad."

 

"If it's Gone with the Wind, I'm gonna kill you Teal'c," Jack threatened.

 

"It is not," the Jaffa replied, taking the movie out of its box and pushing it into the VCR.

 

Jack sat back and tried to recognize the movie from it's opening scenes. The title came up and he shot Teal'c a murderous look. "Teal'c…what the hell is this?"

 

"Major Carter and I were discussing the genre of disaster movies, and she recommended this one."

 

"Which has nothing to do with the crush she has on Tommy Lee Jones," Janet quipped struggling to eat with her left hand and nearly losing her slice of pizza down the front of her shirt.

 

"Janet!" Sam protested, picking up a pillow and threatening to throw it.

 

"Then why the hell didn't you get The Fugitive or Batman or something? You had to get this one?"

 

"The clerk at the video store informed me that this was a very popular movie," Teal'c said.

  
"I'm sure it is but, Teal'c….Volcano? For crying out loud, we've already lived this movie!"

 

~Fin~


End file.
